Check valve

Abstract

A check valve assembly with an extended operational life. The check valve assembly includes a poppet with conically shaped arms and planar seating surfaces. The planar seating surfaces conform to seating surfaces in the valve assembly. The poppet moves back and forth between two operative positions. In each operative position, a planar seating surface on the poppet sealingly conforms to another planar sealing surface in the check valve assembly. The use of planar seating surfaces extends the operational life of the check valve assembly. The aerodynamic shape of the conically shaped arms facilitates fluid flow over the poppet and, when fluid flows over the poppet, generates forces that function to minimize movement of the poppet and to maintain the poppet in a desired orientation when the poppet moves from one operative position to another operative position.

1. A check valve assembly to direct the flow of a fluid, the fluid having a specific gravity, said assembly including
 (a) a housing ( 12 ) including an arcuate inner surface having a width; 
 (b) a cylindrical outlet conduit ( 13 ) extending into said housing and having an end with
 (i) a first planar seating surface ( 17 ), and 
 (ii) a first inner cylindrical diameter less than said width of said housing; 
 
 (c) at least one outflow aperture ( 26 ,  27 ) formed in said outlet conduit within said housing a selected distance from said first planar seating surface; 
 (d) a cylindrical inlet conduit connected to said housing and having an end with
 (i) a second planar seating surface ( 16 ) spaced apart from said first seating surface, and 
 (ii) a second inner cylindrical diameter less than said width of said housing; 
 
 (e) a poppet ( 20 ) mounted in said housing and including
 (i) a body including
 a first side with a third planar seating surface ( 30 ) shaped to conform to said first seating surface, 
 a second side with a fourth planar seating surface ( 31 ) shaped to conform to said second seating surface, and 
 a width extending between said first and second sides, and 
 
 (ii) a first arm
 having a length greater than said width of said body and less than said selected distance of said outflow aperture ( 26 ,  27 ) from said first planar seating surface, 
 extending and tapering outwardly from said first side and having a substantially conical outer guide surface, 
 having a base having a diameter slightly less than said inner diameter of said outlet conduit to center poppet in said end of said outlet conduit, and 
 having a distal tip spaced outwardly apart from said base, 
 
 (iii) a second arm
 having a length greater than said width of said body, 
 extending and tapering outwardly from said second side and having a substantially conical outer guide surface, 
 having a base having a diameter slightly less than said inner diameter of said inlet conduit to center said poppet in said end of said inlet conduit, and 
 having a distal tip spaced outwardly apart from said base, said poppet 
 having a specific gravity substantially equivalent to the specific gravity of the fluid, 
 continuously spaced apart from and not contacting said arcuate inner surface of said housing, 
 moving between at least two operative positions, 
 
 (i) a first operative open position with
 said poppet centered in said end of said outlet conduit, 
 said distal tip of said first arm positioned between said outflow aperture and said end of said outlet conduit and not extending to said outflow aperture so that fluid flows from said inlet conduit and into said outlet conduit without contacting and flowing over said first arm, and 
 said third seating surface sealingly contacting said first seating surface to permit fluid flowing into said housing from said inlet conduit to flow around said poppet, into said outflow aperture, and outwardly through said outlet conduit, and 
 
 (ii) a second operative position with
 said poppet centered in said end of said outlet conduit, and 
 said fourth seating surface sealingly contacting said second seating surface to prevent fluid from back flowing from said housing into said inlet conduit.